Breville BES920XL Espresso Machine Review

When you are seeking a feature-rich pure espresso machine that can give you a feel of real barista, Breville does coins up. Few of the Breville machines that have gain enormous popularity are BES870XL, BES900XL and BES920XL among which the latter 900 series is also referred to us Breville Dual Boiler (BDB) machines. Here we are going to get closer to the latest 920XL which can be referred as the best espresso machine by many coffeeholics.

Breville BES920XL is a feature packed espresso that gives amazing results. It’s not a super automatic machine rather it’s a semi automatic and is priced slightly above in the segment. If one is seeking for a quality machine that can give consistent results over time, BDB can be a great option. The reason behind the consistent results is its amazing boiler system.

Features and Specifications

Dimensions: 2 x 15 x 15 inches

Weight : 30 pounds

Total power consumption: 1700w

Stainless steel construction

Retractable wheels for easy movement

Dual Boilers

Additional temperature controller over group head for precision

Easily drainable boilers

Empty drip tray pop up

Small storage area under drip tray

5 L water tank

Water tank can be filled either from front as well as from the back

15 minutes startup time from cold start

All the startup accessories are provided

Descale alert

Programmable brew temperature as well as infusion pressure

LCD assisted descale process

Nicely structured menu options

Water hardness strip included

The Boiler System of BDB

The machine actually has 3 heating systems to give stable temepratures– the first one is grouphead heater of 100w, the second one is espresso boiler of 700w and the last one is steam boiler of 900w for steam output. As there are separate boilers for steam and espresso, the machine can steam and prepare espresso at the same time. There are electronic temperature controllers to give stable temperatures throughout the brewing process.

What Comes Packed

This Breville comes packed with almost all the accessories that are required to start with. It has bottomless as well as standard portafilter, two pairs of single/double baskets and a magnetic tamper that rests near to the grouphead. Even a pitcher is included. One doesn’t have to worry about the extra purchases required with this BDB as almost everything comes with it.

The Menu System

Though the LCD system looks small, it includes all the required information for brewing a great cup of coffee. The menu system is well structured for easy understanding and operation. Few of the settings that can be tweaked are brew boiler temperature, steam boiler temperature and preinfusion time.

Setting Up Your Breville BES920XL

The BDB comes packed with utmost care and attention. The Styrofoam packing ensures that the machine arrives at destination without any hiccups. Cheers to the Breville for great packaging. After unpacking, clean and rinse the water tank, portafilter, baskets, pitcher, tamper and steam wand. After that, fill the water tank, turn the machine on and set the water hardness level with the help of provided strip. The machine will take around 10 minutes to come at stable temperatures. Flush a few times through group head, steam wand and the hot water tap. That’s, you are ready to brew a cup now.

Cons

Weak foaming wand (due to less powerful steam boiler)

Cleaning the unit is not a breeze. You have to repeat the process few times to clean it properly

Conclusion

Overall, for this price point of $1300, this machine is outstanding. None of the machines allow adjusting brew and steaming temperature along with the pre-infusion time. The machine requires some understanding and practice, but after gelling up, you are going to love it.

Hi guys, my name is Amit Ahuja and I have been writing about coffee since 2012. My love for coffee and its various means of preparations bought me here to write about Coffee Makers, Grinders and other trending coffee making gadgets.